Sign.



G. L. CARTER.

SIGN. APPLICATION I'ILBD JULY 25 1911.

. 1,044,442, Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

' signs.

' UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

cHAnLEs-n. CARTER, or MARION, INDIANA, Assrenon To AMERICAN sron COMPANY,

or KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 25, 1911. Serial No. 640,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns'L. QAn'rER, a citizen of the United States, resid ng at Marion, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in The main objects of this invention are to provide, in a sign in which the sign 1nd1 c1a or characters are formed of lenses, an improved means for securing the lens, and one in which the parts are economically pro-- claims.

'duced and easily and quickly assembled, and when assembled are secure, and the oints between the' parts are substant ally water tight. I

Furtherv objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. v

v I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the followin specificationQ The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the A- structure which is apreferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illus-.

' trated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which FigureI is a detail front view of a sign embod ing the features of-my invention, a single'lett'er or character only being shown, the parts bein tional' form. section. taken on aline corresponding to line 22 of F i s. I and. III, the lenses being shown infu 1 lines. Fig. III isan enlarged detail section-taken on a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. II.

y In the drawing, similar reference .characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in'the direction of the little arrows at the endsof thesection lines.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is the sheet, fmetal face plate of ah -sign; The face plate is in practice the wall of a casin in which the illuminating lamps, preferab y electric,

are placed. As the details of the casing and the arrangement of the lamps therein form no part of my present invention, do not illustrate or describe the same herein.

. .The lenses 2 are arranged in theface plate shown mainly in conven- .ig. II is an enlarged detail.-

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

sign or outline. These'lenses 2 are preferably convex and provided with cylindrical shanks 3, the inner sides, of the lenses being flat to provide shoulders 4. The faceplate is provided with circular openingso having notches 6 at one side. These notches are relatively lon and narrow and are preferably'substantlally rectangular, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. III. .The lens shank 3 is provided with a single complete screw thread 7. The ends 9 of the notch 6 form thread engaging members. The screw thread 7 preferably extends to the shoulders (see Fig. II), so that when the lens is secured into place, the shoulder is drawn tight against the plate 1. When in this position, the notch 6 embraces the inner end 8 of the thread Where it meets the shoulder 4 (see.

Fig. III). When the lens is screwed completely into the plate, the shoulder 4 rests. against the face of the plate and overlaps very easily inserted with practically no liability of breaking the same-while they are being inserted and little or. no strain is I gle action of the punch and the lenses are brought on the thread. On account of the shape of the'notch 6, it very effectively engage s'the threads and the thread engaging portions 9 at the. ends of the opening are not likely to slip over the threads. As no gaskets or other means formaking tight joints is necessary, there is nothing to detract from the appearance of the lenses or the passage cided advantage in practice as the object is to produce the eflect of a sign having lenses formed of e1e'ctric1amps,'and as a matter of fact, the charac'tersof applicants sign when viewed from a distance, are .more distinct than a signin which the letters are formed of lamps on account of the diffusion of light of such lamps. r

v The parts are, as stated,'very economically produced, and are easily assembled without liability of breaking, and when assembled are very secure and at the same time, the

lenses maybe quite readily removed, and

there is nothing in the securing means to dotract from the'a pearance of the sign.

Having thus d of the light'therethrough. This is of deescribed my invention,,what

such length that its ends coact with and engage opposite sides of the thread whenthe shank is turned in the opening without sub- 'stantial distortion of the plate, the width of the notch being substantially the depth of the thread, the notch being adapted to span the inner end ofthe thread where it merges into the shoulder when the shoulder contacts with the plate.

2. A sign comprising a face plate of sheetmetal containing a substantially circular opening having a notch at one side, and a lens provided with a shoulder and a shank having a single screw thread, the inner end of the thread merging into the shoulder, said shank being a turning fit in said opening, the notch of said opening being of such length that its ends engage opposite sides of the thread without distorting the plate, the width of the notch being substantially the depth of the screw thread, the notch being adapted to span the inner end of the thread where it merges into the shoulder when the shoulder contacts with the face plate.

3. A sign comprising a face plate of sheet metal containing a substantially circular opening, there being a notch in the edge of the opening at one side, and a lens provided with a shoulder and with a shank having a single screw thread, the said not h being of such length that'its ends coact ith the opposite sides of the: thread without distorting the plate, its width being substantially the depth of the screw thread.

4. A sign comprising a face plate of sheet metal containing a substantially circular opening having a notch at one side, the edges of the notch being in substantially the plane of the edges of the opening, and a lens provided with 'a shoulder arranged to contact with the side of the plate and with a shank .having a screw thread thereon, the shank being a turning fit in "said opening, said notch being of such length that its ends engage opposite sides of the thread in substantially the plane of the plate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. CARTER. [1,. a]

Witnesses:

L. A. BRUMFIEL, AGHILLE WILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

